Impaired Driving Charges

Drinking and driving means driving a vehicle after consuming an alcoholic beverage, or driving while consuming one. Driving after consuming alcohol is generally not considered illegal unless the driver loses his ability to drive safely as defined by law. Drinking and driving is not the same as drunk driving or the other terms mentioned earlier.

Impaired driving lawyer near me play an increasingly important role of defending individuals charged. Even if the driver is not impaired, effects on driving while consuming alcohol is often illegal. In some jurisdictions, keeping an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is illegal.

Impaired driving is a serious criminal offence these days. Driving a truck, boat, car, snowmobile, aircraft, train or other motor vehicle when the capability to control the vehicle is impaired by alcohol or some other drugs is known as impaired driving. In short, it is defined as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The test is conducted for determining the blood alcohol concentration. If the alcohol content in a person’s blood is found above the legal limit, serious consequences are imposed on him or her. Being “over the legal limit” means that the alcohol content found in the blood is over 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood. If a person is caught driving very slow or too fast or if he or she is unable to control easy tasks, had bloodshot eyes, inaudible speech, he or she is impaired driving charges of this driving offence. Such an individual needs to give a breath test as per the demand of the police.

It is a serious criminal offence and the accused has to face severe penalties. Let us discuss about the penalties faced by drunk drivers in this case.

For the first offence

For individuals who are caught for the first time, a fine of at least $600 is imposed. Not only this, they also lose the right to drive for a period of time. Some of the individuals caught might be innocent or wrongfully accused, but the moment they are charged, they lose their license for at least one year to three years.

For the second offence

For individuals caught for the second time, the penalties are much more severe. They are sentenced to 14 days jail. Moreover, they are prohibited to drive for a long time period of two years to five years. Impaired driving lawyer near me play an important role of protecting an individual’s rights.

For repeat offenders

Repeat offenders are sentenced to 90 days imprisonment. They are imposed a driving prohibition for at least three years. In many cases, lifetime ban is also imposed on individuals who are caught several times.

Thus, it becomes clear from the above discussion that impaired driving can badly affect the accused. In such cases, hiring an experienced criminal lawyer becomes very important. A criminal lawyer provides the accused with a powerful representation in the court of law.

If you are the one impaired driving charges with this driving offence, get in touch with a criminal lawyer immediately. To find a reliable lawyer, you can take help from internet as most of the lawyers today offer their services online.

Gathering information about the case is one of the major tasks performed by impaired driving lawyer near me. Operating a motor vehicle, or for that matter even a bicycle or other human-powered vehicle, after consuming alcohol or other drugs so that mental and motor skills are impaired is recognized as an act of driving under the influence (DUI) or drunk driving. Illegal in most jurisdictions, drunk driving is responsible for a large number of deaths, injuries, and accidents every year throughout the world.

Some of the lawyers maintain their own dedicated websites to help clients in this regard. One can go through all these sites to form a sound decision regarding the selection of lawyer. Thus, it becomes clear that the lawyer plays an important role of defending his clients charged with any of the offences. There are many lawyers who have been assisting clients in this regard. One can refer internet websites for finding out a reliable attorney for a legalized defence in the court of law.